Desk file



Patented July 3l, 1945 UNITED STATES PiiizN'r OFFICE 2,380,678 VDESK rma Gueew J. sengbnscn, Milwaukee, wis.

Application February 3, 1944, serial No. 520,857 s claim-s. (01.' 211-43 This invention relates to improvements in desk files of the type which are used in omces and other places on top of a desk or other stand for holding various papers or les, correspondence and the like, in selected order.

The main object of the present invention 1 and 2.

to provide a desk le of the character indicated Y which is of exceptionally simple construction and which may readily beA assembled by the ultimate purchaser and user; to provide such a file which is exible in respect of its arrangedetermined size; to provide a desk le which willbe eiiicient and durable in use and which may be constructed of materials which are readily availablein adequate quantities; and other objects and advantages of the inventionjwill be In some instances, it may be desired to have one or more pockets of greater width than the width of one of the base bars 5; in that event, two bars may be assembled together without an intervening partition member, to form a double width iile pocket as indicated at-l. Various arrangements of single width and/or multiple width pockets may thus be formed to suit any specic requirements. If desired, suitable labels such as indicated at 8, may be attached to the ends of the base units to identify the material led in the respective pockets.

For clamping the assemblage of partitions and base units together, the partitions and base units are provided with registering openings, such as the openings 9 in the partitions, and the openings II) in the base members. A tie rod II extends through the registering openings and is understood by reference to the following specilcation and the accompanying drawing wherein there is disclosed a desk file embodying a Fig. 3 is a, section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2,

and

Fig. 4 is a perspective illustrating the construction of an adjustable tie rod forminga part of the improved desk' le. f

The improved desk le as herein disclosed, comprises a plurality of base bars or blocks 5, all of which may be o'f like dimensions. They are preferably formed of a suitable grade of hardwood,y cut and finished into substantially the elongated rectangular form indicated..

Partition members 6, formed ofany suitable sheeting, metal, wood, plastic-or other compositions, extend upwardly from between the sections 5 toform pockets between the respectively adjacent `partitions .for supporting papers provided at its ends with suitable means for engaging the outside of the outer partition 6 to clamp the parts tightly together. As indicated in Fig. l, a tie rod clamping device is preferably' provided near the front end of the desk le and near the back end thereof, although it will be apparent that in some instances, a single tie rod may be adequate and that in other instances, more than two tie rods vmay be desirable.

The tie rod II,l as herein shown, comprises a pair of at strap metal sections I2 and I3 respectively. In one embodiment of the structure, the tie rod sections may ybe formed ofA strap metal approximately wide, and 115" lthick. The section I2 is provided at its inner andv documents which may be led in the device.

vAt the outer sides ofthe desk` iile, the .partitions 6 merely extend downwardly in overtion .I3 is provided with a Aseries of holes I6 spaced longitudinally of the section at interval: corresponding to the sum of the width of a base bar 5 and the thickness of a partition 6.

The sections I2 and I3 are detachably interconnected by passingthe parallel portion I5 ofv Y the ear of the section I2 through a selected hole I6 in the other section, and then rocking the sections crelative to each other into face-to-face engagement so that the ear portion I4 extends..

through the opening I6, and the ear portion I5 engages the face of the section I3 opposite to that engaged by a face of the section I2. This relationship is best indicated in Figs. 1 and 3. It will be apparent that the effective length of the tie rod may be adjusted to suit any given requirements by selecting a proper' hole I6 through which to pass the ear I4-I5. When the tie rod is properly assembled, it is passed through the registering or aligned openings 9 and I of the partitions and bases, the openings 9 and I0 being of such size as to permit the lapping inner end portions of the sections to pass freely therethrough. It will be apparent, however, that the walls of the vopenings in the bases and partitions surrounding the tie rod will prevent such relative spreading movement of the overlapped portions of the bar as is required to disengage the interlocking. connection formed by the ear I4-I5 of the section I2 and the holes I6 of the section I3.

The outer ends vof the respective sections I2 and I3 are provided with fragmentary screw threading such asjindicated at I1 and- I8 respectively, and the length of the bar. is so adjusted that said screw threaded ends of the sections will project beyond the outermost partitions 6 to an extent sufiicient to receivesuitable bars and partitions tightly together in assembled relationship, said rod comprising a pair of Y solid elongated sections adapted to have various portions of their lengths overlapped in side by side relationship so as to correspondingly adjust the overall length of the rod for use with assemblies of different numbers of said base bars and partitions, and means for locking the overlapped portions of 'said sections in selected adjusted position.

2. A desk le of the class described comprising an assemblage of a plurality of base bars and, a plurality of partitions respectively extending upwardly from between adjacent base bars, and a rod extending through said base bars and the intervening portions of said partitions, said rod embodying a pair of solid elongated sections having inner end portions of their lengths overlapped in side by side relationship and means for detachably interconnecting said overlapped portions, and means adjustable on thelouter ends of the respective sections for clamping said base bars and partitions tightly in assembled relationship.

3. A deskV le of the class described comprising an assemblage of a plurality of base bars and nuts I9 which, when screwed on the respective ends of the tie rod, will co-operate therewith to clamp the desk le units tightly together in assembled relation.

Felt or other suitable non-scratching discs or buttons 20 may be secured to the bottom of each of the base bar units 5 near the front and rear ends thereof, to provide a non-scratching bottomsurface to thereby protect a desk or table top, or other nished surface, from damage by the desk file. However, in some instances, the le structure may be placed on one end, that is, so that the length of the base units extend vertically, such an arrangement being particularly useful for supporting magazines and similar publications which are not wide enough, or rigid enough, to support themselves when positioned vertically on edge.

The length of the nutsv I9 andof-the screw threaded end portions I1 and IB of thetie rod sections is preferably such as to permit the elimination of several of the partitions 8 to pro-.-

vide enlarged pockets, -such as pocket 1, when desired, without impairing the operativeness of the nuts for clamping the iile units tightly together. As shown in Fig. 2, the lnuts are of such length that when the parts are clamped together in the arrangement shown, i. e. with one partition omitted, there remains spaces `2| within the nuts which would permit the elimination of one or two additional partitions without impair-4 ment of the operativeness of the clamping nuts Y for their said purpose. Similarly, all of the partitions may be employed without causing the lengths of the projecting screw threaded end portions of the sections I2 and Il to be too short to operatively receive the nuts.

The described structure may, oi' course,be'

modied and adapted 'for use under various Aconditions of service.

I claim: 1. In a -desk file of theclass combination of a plurality of base bars, a plu-` rality of partitions-respectively extending upa plurality of partitions respectively extending upwardly from between adjacent base bars, said base bars and partitions having registering openings extending therethrough and forming a continuous passageway through said assemblage, and a rod extending through said passageway and ernbodying a pair of elongated sections having inner end portions of their lengths overlapped within said passageway, detachable means interconnecting said overlapped portions and locked in operative position by the surrounding walls of.

said passageway, the outer ends of the respective sections having means for clamping said '40 assemblage tightly together.

4. A desk le of the' class described comprising an assemblage of a plurality of base bars and a plurality of partitions respectively extending upwardly from between adjacent base bars, said base bars and partitions having registering openings extending therethrough and forming a continuous passageway through said assemblage, and a rod extendingthrough said passageway and embodying a pair of elongated sections having inner end portions of their lengths overlapped and adjustably interconnected Within said passageway, one of said sections having a plurality of holes respectively' spaced lengthwise of the section and the other of said sectionshaving an ear wardly from between adjacent base bars, a rod extending through said base bars 'and the intervening portions of said partitions, and means on the ends of said rod lfor clamping lsaidbase extending through one of said holes in the other Section and engaging the other side of said other section, `said ear being selectively insertable into said holes so asto permit adjustment of the effective length of the rod, the walls of said opening serving to hold said sections against relative movement sufllcient to effect removal of said ear from the hole through which it extends, and said sections having means at their respective outer ends for clamping said assemblage together.

5. A desk ille of the class described comprising an assemblage of a plurality of base bars and a plurality of partitions respectively extending upwardly from between adj acent base bars, said base -bars'and partitions having registering openings extending therethrough and forming a continuous passageway through said assemblage, and a and engaging the other side of said other section, said ear being selectively insertable into said holes` so as to permit adjustment of the effective length of the rod, the walls of said opening serving to hold said sections against relative movement suiiicient to effect removal of said ear from the hole through which it extends, and said sections having means at their respective outer ends for clamping said assemblage together comprising, at one of said ends, a nut having screw threaded engagement with the adjacent end of the rod section.

6. A desk file of the class described, comprising an assemblage of a plurality of base bars and a plurality of partitions respectively extending upwardly from betweenadjacent base bars, said base bars and partitions having registered openings extending therethrough and forming a continuous passageway through said assemblage, and a rod extending through said passageway and embodying a pair of elongated, flat, substantially inextensible strap sections having inner end portions of their lengths overlapped and adjustably interconnected within said passageway, one of said sections having a plurality of holes respectively spaced lengthwise of the section, and the other` of said sections having an ear extending laterally from the inner end of the section, said ear having a free end portion bent into parallel relation to the section, said ear being passed selectively through one of said holes in the other section and engaging the other side thereof, the Walls of said opening serving to hold said sections against relative movement suicient to eil'ect rel moval of said ear from the hole through which it extends, and said sections having means at their respective outer ends for clamping said assemblage together.

7. A desk file of thev class described, comprising an assemblage of 4a plurality of base bars and a plurality of partitions respectively extending upwardly from between adjacent base bars, said base bars and partitions having registered openings extending therethrough and forming a continuous passageway through said assemblage, anda rod extending through said passageway and embodying a pair of elongated, at, substantially inextensible strap sections having inner end portions of their lengths overlapped and adjustably interconnected within said passageway, one of said sections having a plurality of holes respeci 'tively spaced lengthwise of the section, and the other of said sections having an ear extending laterally from the inner end of the section, said ear having a free end portion bent into parallel relation to the section, said ear being passed selectively through one of said holes in the other section and engaging the other side thereof, the walls of said opening serving to hold said sections against relative movement suiiicient to effect removal of said ear from the hole through which it extends, and said sections having means at their respective outer ends for clamping said assemblage together comprising, at one of Vsaid ends, fragmentary screw threading on the edges of the section, and a nut Aadapted to be screwed on said end of the section.

8. A desk le of the class described comprising an assemblage ofa plurality of base bars and a plurality of partitions respectively extending upwardly from between adjacent base bars, said base bars and partitions having registered openings extending therethrough and forming a continuous passageway through said assemblage, and a rod extending through said passageway and embodying a pair of elongated sections having inner end portions of their lengths overlapped and adjustably interconnected Within said passageway, one of said ysections having a plurality of holes respectively spaced lengthwise of the section and the other of said sections having an ear extending through one of said holes in the other section, said ear being selectively insertable into said holes so as to permit adjustment of the effective length of the rod, the walls of said opening serving to hold said sections against relative movement sulcient to eiect removal of said ear from the hole through which it extends, and said sections having means at their respective outer ends for clamping said assemblage together.

GUSTAV J. SENGBUSCH. 

